Topic: Axles??

[DodgeMudder]

I doubt you'll increase the strength significant enough by bolting on a diff cover.

Everything I have read says the issue with the center flexing and causing an issue can easily be fixed with a good diff cover.

[sharpxmen]

Everything I have read says the issue with the center flexing and causing an issue can easily be fixed with a good diff cover.

negative

[TexWalther]

The short answer is there are better axles out there, that can be had for under 300 bucks so why waste time, effort or money on something that will always be marginal at best.

Was the point I was wanting to make also if u can do your welding then u can find a 8.8 with 4.10 gears in the 200 range bracket kit for 250 and not worry about it breaking with our weak 4bangers. You also get disk brakes and a limited slip differential

[4BangerTJ]

See this is where you are wrong. The short answer for you may be swap the axles. For guys like me who are new to jeeps and have a ton of experience wrenching but not with modifications or jeep drivetrains in specific, its not that easy. Firstoff I have no idea what axles to get or what axle is out of what. I also have no clue what needs to be modified to make an axle from another truc fit under a jeep. I have no experience welding either so that means an axle I get will need to be modified at  a shop before it will bolt in which costs more money. See how guys like me can get lost. Sometimes I think you guys that have done this a while forget to are talking to people with no experience at all.

[DodgeMudder]

See this is where you are wrong. The short answer for you may be swap the axles. For guys like me who are new to jeeps and have a ton of experience wrenching but not with modifications or jeep drivetrains in specific, its not that easy. Firstoff I have no idea what axles to get or what axle is out of what. I also have no clue what needs to be modified to make an axle from another truc fit under a jeep. I have no experience welding either so that means an axle I get will need to be modified at  a shop before it will bolt in which costs more money. See how guys like me can get lost. Sometimes I think you guys that have done this a while forget to are talking to people with no experience at all.

You will never convince most Jeepers that the 35 is worth anything more than scrap steel, I try to give people good info and real options instead of the normal crap people spread, but there is no point trying to change the minds of these Jeepers as after years of web wheeling and seeing 1 in 100 d 35s that are wheeled break they know that the 35 is just a junk axle that everyone should run from.

[aw12345]

Nothing spoils a day of wheeling like a rear axle with a wheel and axle shaft coming out of it. I like to spend a day on the trail wheeling and not fixing my or other peoples vehicle. Going out into the backcountry with something that is prone to breaking is somewhat irresponsible. Same goes for hanging out with a group and being the guy that always breaks his stuff and hold everybody up.
Explorer rear axle is a fairly easy swap and it's strong, you can even find them with the correct gear ratio. From there you buy the axle brackets have them welded on bolt the thing in and never look back. Sure people built Dana 35's with 30 spline chromemoly axle shafts and lockers. Is a lot better than stock, but they still break, still have thin axle tubes, a weak housing and they still break. Friend of mine has broken 2 axle shafts in his super 35 and truth be told he is a wuzz, the shafts in that thing are from Superior and they do make pretty good axle shafts.
So do what you feel is best, but spend some time researching and what you want to do with your vehicle and go from there. There are solutions that work some expensive and some affordable and they both work, just a matter of how much money you throw at or how many trail repairs you want to do. It's your time and money.

[4BangerTJ]

I get that most people don't like the d35. My question is in all honesty for a new guy like me that will only wheel maybe once a month and daily drive it the rest of the time and I promise you that for a long time I will be very hesisant to push it into very hard wheeling as I have never wheeled in rocks before and don't want to beak any more than I have to since it is my daily. My other question I I keep hearing different axles to swap. What axles are worth the money to swap and what car and year of car are they out of and what is a good cost to expect when looking for one? Thanks for he help guys and I didn't mean to come across like I don't want advice or anything just want a bit more detail for us new guys is all. Teach me oh wise ones.

[TexWalther]

94 and up? Ford explorers have the Ford 8.8 you can find them already geared to 4.10 which will match your front end and save you some money. These axles have disk brakes and a limited slip differential and they can be found around 200. The brackets to install this axle cost around 250 Google tj Ford 8.8 brackets. Call a local shop to get the labor pricing.. I am in the process of doing this now just waiting on the guy doing my welding to get some free time

[FourbangerYJ]

The D44's out of a TJ will bolt right in. Either the Sahara or Rubicon will work. Just make sure it has the same gears as your front.
The Ford 8.8 will be cheaper but with needing to buy and weld on the brackets it will add a bunch to the price. If you find one cheap then snag it and save up for the other things you will need. Keep stock piling parts until you have everything you need. Keep wheeling the D35 until you have enough saved then have someone install it.
It took me 2 years to gather parts for my D44 front.

[4BangerTJ]

Ok I may go the route of doing the 8.8. Should I be ok with wheeling till I can get that cause I would rather get my lift and wheels and tires and such before swapping axles. Also this may sound dumb but what gears does my jeep have stock and do your frontand rear gears have to match?

[sharpxmen]

The D44's out of a TJ will bolt right in. Either the Sahara or Rubicon will work. Just make sure it has the same gears as your front.

2 problems with that

1. they are priced stupid (at least the Rubi ones i looked at that have a locker were somewhere close to $2Gs each for front/rear, not sure if Sahara has lockers and don't know how much those are). Might as well just buy a Rubi, it comes with a stronger t-case which is also 4:1
2. they have D35 outers, so only the center is D44

[TexWalther]

Ok I may go the route of doing the 8.8. Should I be ok with wheeling till I can get that cause I would rather get my lift and wheels and tires and such before swapping axles. Also this may sound dumb but what gears does my jeep have stock and do your frontand rear gears have to match?

You should have 4.11 gears there is a identification tag on each axle and yes they do need to match..

[FourbangerYJ]

Ok I may go the route of doing the 8.8. Should I be ok with wheeling till I can get that cause I would rather get my lift and wheels and tires and such before swapping axles. Also this may sound dumb but what gears does my jeep have stock and do your frontand rear gears have to match?

Larger tires stress the axles more. Just take it easy.
The stick shifts came with 4.10/4.11 the autos came with 3.73, one year had 4.56. You need to have the same ratio front and rear + or - about 3%.

2 problems with that

1. they are priced stupid (at least the Rubi ones i looked at that have a locker were somewhere close to $2Gs each for front/rear, not sure if Sahara has lockers and don't know how much those are). Might as well just buy a Rubi, it comes with a stronger t-case which is also 4:1
2. they have D35 outers, so only the center is D44

Sahara's would be cheaper than the Rubi. They came with a Limited slip. More than likely 3.07's or 3.73's Prices vary it pays to shop around.
How do they have D35 outers?

[Jeffy]

Larger tires stress the axles more. Just take it easy.
The stick shifts came with 4.10/4.11 the autos came with 3.73, one year had 4.56. You need to have the same ratio front and rear + or - about 3%.

Sahara's would be cheaper than the Rubi. They came with a Limited slip. More than likely 3.07's or 3.73's Prices vary it pays to shop around.
How do they have D35 outers?

The TJ 44-3 Option only came with 3.54:1 and later with 3.73:1.  You could not get ABS.  The option came with the Trashlok and you had to get the full-size conventional spare.

The Rubicon D44 is all D44 except for the inner and outer knuckles which are from the Dana 30.  The rear Dana 44 in the Sahara, Sport and Rubicon use a D44 housing but Dana 35 axle tubes and flanges.  The housing, gears and shafts are Dana 44.  The shafts are actually XJ D44 shafts with smaller bearings and a different flange plate on it.

[No Luck]

Larger tires stress the axles more. Just take it easy.
The stick shifts came with 4.10/4.11 the autos came with 3.73, one year had 4.56. You need to have the same ratio front and rear + or - about 3%.

Sahara's would be cheaper than the Rubi. They came with a Limited slip. More than likely 3.07's or 3.73's Prices vary it pays to shop around.
How do they have D35 outers?

Not all Sahara's came with 44's